The Irish standard., 1887-12-24
& sWEEPlNG 6 q ARPETs.2

lsss.ssSI should Not h 4 sUn Il ureskjInat tod.
There's no part of the housework
]! that is as exhausting to the housewife
as the sweeping OF carp and, to the
majority, sweeping day is the most
dreaded Of all days Of the week. On
this day, in most houses, the rule is to
commence at the top. and sweep, each
room in order, to the bottom Of the
house. Once week each room in the
house must receive thorough sweep
i ing, whether it really needs it or not.
A chamber that is occupied bat few
hours in the day and night does not
require to be swept as often IS the
family sitting-room, which is in con-
stapt use; yet it receives {. thorough
sweeping each week, the same as the
much used family-roona. Every thing
must be removed from it and
the carpet thoroughly brushed.
There is no necessity, unless the
chamber is used very much, of sweep
! ing it thoroughly oftener than once
a month. To be sure, where there are
! children, there is, usually, more sweap.
i ing to be done than where the room Is
occupied by adults, owing to the litter
tha, the little ones make, from paper,
bits of cloth, ETC., although they may
be IN the room but i've minutes. "a
slight brushing once week is all a
4 chamber needs and for this kind of
I work good carpet-sweeper is much
better than a broom, although for
sweeping thoroughly, Chs broom slid
tions. For slight brushing of tapss-
! try, Brussels or any of the heavy grades
of carpet, the carpet-sweepsr does the
work as well, is less fatiguing to use
! than the broom, aud raises but very
little dust. For the latter reason it Is
particularly useful for an occasional
brushing of room in which are many
small ornaments as they need not be
removed, and this, alone, will save q
good many steps and considerable
time.
To sweep room thoroughly, all
articles that can be conveniently re-
moved take into another room. Cover
| up all ornaments and furniture re-
naming in the room, roll up the cur
tains as far as they will so, close all
!; the doors and open the windows. If
! the wind is strong and blows into the
| room, it will be necessary to open the
windows at the top only Take Indian
meal and dampen it SO that it will adj
here nicely together, but be sure that
it is not too wet. Test it by squeezing
it tightly in the hand, and if every
particle is damp SO that it clings to-
gether, and yet no water can be
squeezed from it, it is really Tor use.
Scatter it all over the carpet, using
plenty Of it, and being careful not 70
step on it when sweeping, as it may
NIKE an ugly spot. With a good
broom commence to sweep at one
.cerner and work toward the door
going cut. Come aver that you
should sweep with the wind
but as this is usually done TO
carry off the dust, there is no
reason for this rule applying
where the Indian meal is used proper
~, as it gathers up the dust, leaving
very little to rise and settle any where
After the room has been swept thor
oughly, take up the meal and dust in
{. dustpan. Never brush the sweep
ings Of auy room into the entry or
another room, but take up each rouA's
sweepings separately. Close the door
after taking up the sweepings, and al
low what little dust there may be to
settle before busting any thing. Go
ing over the carpet with a cloth or
sponge wrung out tightly Of ammonia
water, rinsing it often, will brighten
the colors, but unless the carpets very
dirty the meal will do the work very
well. To be sure, where there are any
grease spots, the meal will have nc
effect on them and the ammonia il
just the thing. Saturate the spots
with pure ammonia. and rinse off with
clear water. This usually succeeds
in removing them. Some prefer
to encase the broom in % damp
cloth when sweeping, claiming that
it does not raise any dust. This is
a very good plan for an invalid's room.
and in this case can not be too highly
recommended, but for liying groom it
is not good. In the first place, the
corners and along the walls the carpet
must be swept with a dry broom. for
if not, every where the damp broom
touches ON the paint, after being on
the carpets will make q muddy streak,
which will necessitate q wiping Of the
mop-boards after sweeping. Then,
unless the cloth is taken off and rinsed !;
often, the damp dust becomes mud,
and must of necessity be worked
back into the carpet. There are other
objections, and ON the whole the plan
is not good one even for light sweep.
ing. A carpet swept in this way will
look dull and muddy. and though it
may keep the dust from settling on the /,
furniture, it will in short while ruin
the carpet as far as looks are con-
;cerned. Too promiscious sweeping OF
the carpet should not be INDUCED in,
for IT. wears ont both the Garnet and